Substitution
by Teh Pocky Ninja
Summary: Hey Sakura, it's me. I finally brought back Sasuke back for you. Now you two will finally get to have that romance you always dreamed of. I'm just sorry I won't be there to see it...Take care of each other. I'll miss you both. Goodbye...forever. SasuxSaku


**Substitution**

* * *

"Tsunade-sama…he's here."

The abnormally young-looking fifth Hokage's head jerked upwards at the sound of her assistant's soft voice. Shizune said nothing, noting her Hokage's jumpiness.

"Send him in, please."

"Yes, Milady."

As Shizune left the room, Tsunade leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as conflicting thoughts flashed through her mind. As much as the part of her that had agreed to do this rejoiced, the other part fought desperately against her chosen option, screaming silently that it was wrong and shouldn't be done.

"Go on, I can't watch this part." Shizune's voice drifted from behind the room's door, and only moments later it creaked open again.

Tsunade's old heart suddenly ached with regret as her expected guest entered the darkened room, illuminated only by the yellow, flickering flames on slowly melting candlesticks arranged throughout the enclosed space.

"Are you…sure you want to do this…?" she asked for the thousandth time, watching him pull the door shut with an echoing _click._ There were metal-on-metal sounds outside as Shizune closed the many locks on the door to that particular room, to ensure nothing would interfere with the activities within.

"Yes…I'm sure."

Tsunade blinked away unexpected tears, turning around and busying herself with several scrolls so he wouldn't see her watery eyes. His own eyes, once the bright color of ocean waves, had been dulled to a silent, emotionless blue, the laughing sparkle no longer present.

"Once it begins, there's no backing out."

He nodded, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I know. I've made my choice. You know what will happen to her if she finds out."

Tsunade shook her head as she gathered several scrolls into her arms. "I wish…it didn't have to go like this…It's such a dirty action, something Orochimaru would have loved…eclipsing one soul with another…"

Her chocolate-brown eyes met with lifeless cobalt.

"It's better this way," he said softly.

"Yes, yes…" she murmured to herself, though not believing a word. "Go lie down over there. I'll have the preparations in just a minute."

She tried and failed to ignore the solemn footsteps leading into the center of a wide, painted circle on the room's floor, the geometric patterns adorning the inside lit up by candles stationed at specific intervals throughout the perimeter.

Having gathered all the necessary materials, Tsunade stood, her eyes closed, and inhaled. This was it. She couldn't back down now. But she wanted this last moment of peace to last as long as possible.

"Ok. We're ready."

And on that night, deep in underground caverns far away from the moon's bright shine and the stars' twinkling guidance, Naruto Uzumaki died.

* * *

"I hate him…"

_You love him…_

"Shut up."

Sakura Haruno sat where she was, debating whether having conversations with oneself was a sure sign of insanity.

Having no real answer, she sighed deeply as a warm breeze tossed her rosy hair across her face. Not even bothering to push it out of her eyes, she lay on her back on the grassy ground, staring up at the night sky, the stars sparkling endlessly in an infinite black void. That is, until she remembered his eyes used to sparkle in the exact same way in those rare moments when he was happy.

Tears welling up in her eyes yet again, she rolled over onto her stomach and lay facedown on the grassy hill, her nose buried in the moist dirt. As inevitable as it was, the tears fell again, sliding down her cheeks and into the welcoming ground as she whimpered quietly, as though in mourning. And in a way, she was.

_You love him. You'll never stop loving him._

"I know…"

Mourning for the one who had left. Mourning for her own broken heart and shattered soul. Physical strength meant nothing now, being able to crush mountains was worthless. In spirit, she was still as fragile as a spun-glass butterfly with its wings ripped apart, forever dragging itself along the ground and trying to gain that innocent freedom it once had.

"I love him…"

Mourning that only the endless skies and glimmering stars were the ones to hear her admit she still pined for the one who tore off her wings.

"Why…why…"

_Because you thought you could save him…_

"Why me…?"

She rolled over onto her side, hugging her knees to her chest as she curled up in a tiny ball of despair, blocking out everything else but her shuddering sobs.

_It's been like this for so long…you know you'll never be cured until he comes back._

His voice floated through her mind, relaying every time he had ever spoken her name, whether in anger, pleading, annoyance, depression or even friendship…

_"…And Sakura here's got the best chakra control…"_

_"Sakura! Look out!"_

_"You're so annoying, Sakura."_

_"Sakura, I can't. I told you already, I am an avenger…"_

_"This is the path I have chosen, Sakura…"_

_"Sakura? What do you…think of Naruto?"_

_"Sakura, wait. Let him go."_

_"Sakura…thank you."_

_"Sakura."_

Her watery eyes opened wide. That last one…it had suddenly dispersed the others. It had sounded so real, more like…

"Sakura."

In one quick, trained movement, she jumped to her feet clutching a kunai knife on her fist, preparing to annihilate anyone who dared-

Her hand clenching the knife grasped it tightly. Then slowly, her grip grew slack. The knife fell from her hand, her fingers letting it fall until it hit the grass, a deep shiver running through her tiny body.

Everything had frozen over. Her gaze was locked onto a pair of charcoal-black eyes, gazing directly at her with a studying intensity. Her attention shifted to his thin lips as he spoke her name again.

Her own mouth formed the syllables of that name she had cried out so desperately on that night all those years ago. It seemed to work as a summoning, first she heard soft, even footsteps and the next thing she knew her face was tilted back so she could see up into those eyes, now a head above her line of sight.

The feeling of his warm hand on her shoulder sent electric shocks racing through her system. Not knowing how to react, she flinched and took a step backwards, shaking her head. No, it was all wrong. It wasn't him. It couldn't be.

"Why do you turn away?"

This tone was familiar to her. It was almost angry, in a controlled way. But below that, there was a hint of sadness at having his former teammate refuse to even face him.

"You…you…"

She couldn't get any other words to come out.

_You left me. You came back. You betrayed us. You fought us. You can't…_

"Sasuke…"

"I have returned."

She felt his body stiffen when her arms found their way around him, but he relaxed almost instantly, allowing her to cling to him as she sobbed, though either in relief or pain neither could tell.

Caught up in the intensity of her own emotions, she didn't notices his arms curl around her until she had calmed down. His embrace enveloped her petite frame, one hand resting around her waist as the other held the back of her head against his shoulder. Her first-ever instance of being held by him like this.

His fingers gently worked through her hair as she leaned against him, the action bringing soothing warmth and jittery energy brought on by her agitated blood at his presence and their proximity to one another.

"I'm…sorry…"

The sound of his voice only brought on more tears. She listened silently, her face buried in the already-damp fabric of his shirt.

"I should never have left."

"Sasuke…"

His hand stroking her hair comforted her sniffling whimpers until they stopped completely. Only then could she bring herself to let her eyes open slowly, though never looking up at his face.

"I missed you…"

She blinked in surprise, another tear rolling its way down her cheek.

"I didn't know how much you meant to me…"

_You mean something to him…_

"Sakura…"

"I love you…" her treacherous mouth whispered, instantly regretting having admitted it to him. He would just break her already-shattered heart again. She had given him the tools to do it simply by saying she still felt for him. It was only a matter of time now.

"I…missed hearing that."

She gasped silently, not wanting to believe the soft words coming from his mouth were true, and yet…

"Sakura…"

She brought herself at last to raise her face to his, her automatically analytical gaze scanning his features. Everything was as she recalled, but older, more mature, yet just as beautiful as she remembered. And… he seemed less angry with the world, more…at peace.

"I never realized…how much I wanted to be here…until it was all gone…and you along with it…"

She said nothing, her head once again leaning on his shoulder as his fingers twisted the ends of her hair.

"Sasuke…"

"I thought you would hate me forever."

"N-never! I could…never hate you…"

A minute of silence passed, she felt him breathing into her hair many times before he spoke again.

"Sakura, I don't want to hate anymore…I want…"

She heard him hesitate. The Sasuke she remembered never got nervous.

"I want…you. No, I _need_ you…I want to be the one you always wanted me to be…I want to make you happy."

She gazed up at him, half of her heart telling her there was no way this could truly be happening.

"…Why?" she whispered, barely keeping herself from falling into the soft midnight-black of his eyes.

"Because…I…"

She watched him gulp again, his gaze averted from hers for a second before turning back and looking her straight in the eye.

"…Love…you…"

Her gasp of shock was cut short as his hand pushed her head toward his until their lips crashed against each other. With shaking knees, she felt herself go limp in his arms as the only one she had ever loved stole her first kiss, kept especially for him all this time. Her eyes still leaked out crystal tears, though no longer in sadness and despair.

"I love you…" she whispered against his mouth before the kissing continued. "I'm so happy you're back…"

"I can't go on without you…"

His affectionate words, so full of love and tenderness only made her heart beat a thousand times faster as he claimed her lips again, promising never to leave her alone as he had before.

She felt her feet leave the ground as his hand slid under her knees and lifted her up, only seconds later she opened her eyes to find herself settled in his lap as he sat on the grass where she had been lying what seemed like years ago.

As if stopping would break the spell they were under, she gently pulled his head down to hers and continued to kiss him while his arms cradled her figure as she lay in his lap.

_Sasuke…oh, Sasuke…_

He smiled against her kiss as his hands traveled over her tiny body, enjoying the noises she uttered when he touched her a certain way. He smirked into her mouth, she was his now.

She wanted more of him. When he began to pull away for a brief inhale, she followed him. So much of her short existence had been spent chasing after him, she wasn't going to let him get away anytime soon.

"Sasuke, please…don't leave me alone again…" she begged, their fingers entwined as her head leaned against his chest.

"Never…"

"I love you so much."

"Sakura…I'll stay with you."

She smiled through her overjoyed tears, knowing he would stay true to his word.

"…Thank you," she murmured softly, her eyes closed.

Even though her eyes were closed, she knew he was contented. Those words that had seemed so cruel and heartless on that night he had left now held a special significance. They announced something old was dead, to be replaced with a new reality. In this case though, it meant a once-broken heart was given new wings to fly again.

"You're welcome…Sakura."

* * *

_Knowing if she stalled any longer the whole operation would be worthless, Tsunade steeled herself, biting her lip until it bled…and pressed the power button._

_The clear liquid in the needles was drained in seconds, flowing through the tips and into the punctured skin below. The diagram of the human body showed where the fluid was taking effect. At first, nothing more than a few dots of blue appeared. Then, the beeps of the pulse machine sped up in frequency as the blue began to spread like some kind of lightspeed infection._

_The sound of his ragged breathing caught her attention. Though she knew the sights would haunt her until her dying day, she turned to look at the young man held down on the floor by strings of his own chakra._

_His body was flushed red, almost the color of a sunburn, every beep coming from the pulse machine followed by a twitch or gasping breath, desperate for air. Where the needles pierced flesh, a deathly shade of pale was taking over the reddened skin. Its conquest only sped up when the figure on the screen was half-covered by blue. _

_She winced at the occasional pained cries, unable to tear her eyes away as the disease spread. That's what it was, a disease, eating away at his body from the inside out. Taking over bones, flesh, muscle, even his DNA. A filthy, unnatural disease that could never be cured._

_Her eyes went to the face, twisted in pain as the mouth remained open in a silent scream. She could have drawn a line right down the middle to separate the two halves. One side was still the flushed-red, blonde hair and whisker marks as they were meant to be. But the other side…_

_She closed her eyes as another cry escaped from him, knowing below the cloth she had placed over the upper half of his face…there were eyes the color of a starless night sky._

_He screamed again, but it wasn't his own voice that fell upon her ears. It was deeper, throatier that his had ever been. This was the voice of a man that shattered friendships, scarred hearts and murdered those he deemed weaker than himself._

_He fell back. For a horrifying moment, his pulse flatlined before a weak beeping started up again from the machine's output._

_Though it sickened her to do so, she forced herself to kneel next to the pale body, opening a contract scroll on the chalk-covered floor beside him. At the very bottom of the paper was her own signature, beside a blank space that would soon be filled with the final seal of the contract's purpose._

_"By the powers within me…I summon you, reapers of the souls of the dead," she murmured, slowly and clearly. "Come to me now…and bear with you the soul of Uchiha Sasuke." _

_A white haze appeared, trailing around her like smoke. Whispering voices faded in and out, ghostly hands reaching as if to cross over into the world of the living before dissolving back into their prison of smoke._

_"My tribute is the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox," she continued. "As well as ten years of my own remaining lifespan. This I willingly exchange for ownership of the Uchiha's soul…"_

_The whispers turned to cackles as she bit each of her fingers, grimacing at the blood that welled in the wounds. And before her very eyes, a soft, glowing figure faded into existence. The face of the spirit was obscured by white light, but his celestial form floated before her in seeming slumber. Chains encircled his kimono-clad body, each grasped in clawed hands by a different demon of the afterlife. All of them watched with hungry eyes as she leaned over the contract, cupping her hand to keep her blood from dripping over the carefully-written characters._

_"So mote it be," she spoke, and pressed her bloody fingertips to the paper beside her signature._

_An unearthly screeching tore through the air as the chains the demons were holding shattered. Each howling their loss, they dissipated into the smoke that encircled them, leaving their captive soul behind._

_She caught herself from falling over in her sudden weakness. Her age-defying jutsu faltered for a few seconds, flickering between her twenty-something self and the old woman she hid under a young appearance. But finally it reinstated itself, and she managed to look up again at the freed soul floating before her._

_"Return," she ordered it, gesturing downwards. "Your body lives. Return to it."_

_Still seeming to be asleep, the spirit floated over the pale flesh lying below it, before disappearing as it melted right into the skin._

_A sharp __beep__ caught Tsunade's attention, and she risked a glance at the monitor behind her._

_The human-shaped outline was now completely blue._

_"Wake," she ordered softly, allowing her head to droop down again. "Wake now…"_

_At her command, the unmoving body forced a shuddering exhale. Pale, roughened fingers scrabbled at the stone floor as he slowly managed to sit upright. The strings of glowing chakra binding him to the floor fell away, as did the cloth over his pitch-black eyes as they slowly fluttered open._

_"Unh…" he groaned in confusion, blinking sleepily. "Where…am I?"_

_"Home," was all she said, though the word tasted bitter in her mouth._

_"The village…?" His hands rubbed at his eyes as he spoke. "How…when…?"_

_"Naruto found you…" she said to him, avoiding his eyes in case they could sense her untruths. "You were nearly dead. He…gave everything to bring you home safely."_

_"…Where is he?"_

_Her answer was made all the more believable as she turned away from him, biting her lip in an effort to hold back tears._

_"…He's gone…" she choked. "He gave his life…so you could make it home."_

_It wasn't completely a lie. He obviously believed her words, as he was silent for several minutes._

_"…Where is…Sakura?" he asked when he finally spoke again._

_"She's outside. She doesn't know you're home…nobody does. Or about…Naruto…"_

_She bit back a sob, her shoulders shaking._

_"…I must go to her," he grunted quietly, forcing himself up on unsteady feet. "I must…I must tell her…"_

_"Go," was all she could whisper, listening to the sound of his uneven footsteps trail off until a door's many locks clicked open, and he was gone._

_Only then did she allow herself to release her held-back anguish, tears flowing freely as she cried the way she had after losing her lover and precious sibling. It was appropriate. She'd just lost another valued, irreplaceable person. But this time, not to death. This time, to a sick, twisted practice listed as one of the most forbidden._

_Naruto was gone. She'd murdered him with her own hands. Her own blood._

_Her only comfort was that somewhere, right now, two broken hearts were finally being reunited. _

_After all…that was everything he'd ever wanted…_

* * *

whoo, let's all do the ANGST dance.

What was this inspired by...? Probably all those vampire movies where they steal the young lead charatcer to use their body in a resurrection spell.

Oh wells.

Had a feeling Tsunade's going to kick the bucket sometime soon in the manga, and wanted to ge this out before her not-aliveyness put people off clicking it :D


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